More on Reggio Emilia

When I was in college (yes, a very very long time ago), an English professor that I had, in a composition class, said that what each person writes creatively is a patchwork quilt of everything one had ever read, and the more one reads, the richer and deeper one's own writing would be because of it. I think this is true with many things in life, that the more experiences we have, the richer we are because of it. This is also true when it comes to approaches to childhood education. Learning about different approaches, including those from other cultures, allows educators to piece together their own "quilt", using what works best for the teacher, for the children, and in the environment.

I have been enjoying the book on Reggio Emilia, The Hundred Languages of Children, that I have been reading. Here are a few highlights, things that really stood out for me:

"Our task, regarding creativity, is to help children climb their own mountains, as high as possible. No one can do more."--Loris Malaguzzi, Founder

"We are curious about the world that we are little by little discovering, the world of children constructing their theories. At times we think that the relationship with the children reawakens in us a sense of our own chilhood, creating feelings of tenderness, curiosity, play, and true pleasure."--Vea Vecchi, Atelierista

"One has to respect the time of maturation, of development, of the tools of doing and understanding, of the full, slow, extravagant, lucid and ever-changing emergence of children's capacities; it is a measure of cultural and biological wisdom"--Loris Malaguzzi